Gloria Discovers Women's Lib is the eleventh episode of the first season of the CBS-TV series All in the Family, and also the eleventh overall series episode. Written by series co-creator Norman Lear and Sandy Stern, the episodes was originally telecast on March 23, 1971.

A "showcase" episode for series co-star Sally Struthers, "Gloria Discovers Women's Lib" delivers exactly what its title promises.

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Synopsis

Gloria reads up on women's liberation and then tells Mike that she should be an equal partner in their marriage. Mike doesn't agree and Gloria storms out of the house.

Plot summary

On a lazy Sunday morning Gloria gets fired up about women's liberation, in particular the way that she thinks that Archie treats Edith like his personal slave.
Upset that even her liberal husband Mike, who believes that men and women are total equals but only when women are willing to admit their inferiority to men, refuses to regard her as an equal, Gloria angrily leaves the Bunker household that morning, storming out of the front door. As upsetting as this is to Archie, the prospect of "Meathead" son-in-law Mike remaining in the house alone is even more daunting.

The very next day, Gloria comes back to gather some of her things as Mike, now remorseful over the things he said the previous day, lets Gloria know that without her there is no joy in his life. Another fight still breaks out, only this time it leads to make-up sex and all is bliss.

The episode's best moments include Gloria's impromptu imitation of a wind-up doll and Edith's lugubrious reaction to impending "sisterhood."